Style/Unknown and untitled/Special purpose label

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Status: This is an official style guideline.

In a number of situations, it was convenient to create "phony" label entries in the database, to deal with some special cases.

Special purpose labels are similar in intent and functioning to special purpose artists.

Please note that you shouldn't create new special purpose labels all by yourself without prior discussion about it with other editors in the forums.

Special cases

  • [no label]: White labels, self-published releases and other "no label" releases (usually bootlegs) should all be stored under this entry in the database.
  • [unknown]: This label is one that we can't prevent from appearing in the database, at least acknowledging its existence helps us steer it (via label subscriptions). Please note that you mustn't use this label. If you don't know what the label is for a given release, just leave the label entry blank in the release event.
  • MusicBrainz Test Label: This test label is for internal use only and should never be used. Please do not attempt to "clean up" this label.

Advanced information

About white-labels

Note that in a number of cases white labels releases are actually possible to track down to a proper label (either from information engraved in the vinyl, or from third party sources). While such research is not expected from casual editors, and while it's perfectly legit to add such releases to [no label], editors willing to go further can certainly use the proper label instead, if any.

About auto-releases (or self-releases)

In some (somewhat rare) cases there is an imprint on the release (possibly the artist wants to give his "label" an identity). You may use that instead of [no label].

For digital releases a label field is sometimes required by stores, and as such self-releases sometimes get assigned the artist name, or a code assigned by the distributor (such as "123456 Records DK"), as the designed "label". These are still self-releases and should generally be added as [no label].


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